Advise and Consent (1962)
-
82% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
87% of users liked it
(1,750 ratings)
The first of Allen Drury "all names changed to protect the guilty" political novels, Advise and Consent was brought to the screen by producer/director Otto Preminger. The film hinges upon the appointment of Robert Leffingwell (Henry Fonda) to Secretary of State. Leffingwell has been… More The first of Allen Drury "all names changed to protect the guilty" political novels, Advise and Consent was brought to the screen by producer/director Otto Preminger. The film hinges upon the appointment of Robert Leffingwell (Henry Fonda) to Secretary of State. Leffingwell has been hand-picked by the President (Franchot Tone), meaning that there'll be a battle on the Senate floor between adherents of and opponents to the current administration. Among the participants are veteran Dixiecrat Charles Laughton, freshman Senator Don Murray and powerseeker George Grizzard. Burgess Meredith also shows up as a man who is brought into the Senate to "prove" that Leffingwell is a communist. To neutralize Murray, Grizzard threatens to dredge up a homosexual incident in Murray's past, which results in the latter's suicide. Advise and Consent is a slow and old-fashioned film, coming to life only when Laughton and Grizzard are on screen--and in the climax, in which the fate of Leffingwell's appointment is left in the hands of acting President Lew Ayres. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Otto Preminger
- Written By
- Allen Drury, Wendell Mayes
- Genres
- Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1962 Wide
- Studio
- WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES
Critic Reviews
-
Variety Staff, Variety
The settings are powerfully like real. A Senate hearing room, the Senate itself, a party home in immediate Washington and varying apartments plus a place in DC suburbia all have the look of genuineness.
-
Tom Milne, Time Out
Grips like a vice thanks to the skill with which Preminger's stunning mise en scène absorbs documentary detail.
-
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
There are many other dull and naughty characters in this brisk whirl on the Washington merry-go-round.
-
Wesley Lovell, Cinema Sight
You can't hire a judge without breaking a few nerves. This insightful political film is terrific.
-
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Viewing it today, its quaintness and timidness make it seem out of step with the even more insidious contemporary times.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
Henry Fonda
as Robert Leffingwell
-
Charles Laughton
as Sen. Seabright "Seab" Cooley
-
Don Murray
as Sen. Brigham Anderson
-
Walter Pidgeon
as Sen. Bob Munson
-
Lew Ayres
as The Vice-President
-
Gene Tierney
as Dolly Harrison
-
Peter Lawford
as Sen. Lafe Smith
-
Inga Swenson
as Ellen Anderson
-
Burgess Meredith
as Herbert Gelman
-
George Grizzard
as Sen. Fred Van Ackerman
-
Paul Ford
as Sen. Stanley Danta
-
Franchot Tone
as The President
-
Edward Andrews
as Sen. Orrin Knox
-
Malcolm Atterbury
as Sen. Tom August
-
Russ Brown
as Nightwatchman
-
Raoul de Leon
as Sen. Velez
-
Hilary Eaves
as Lady Maudulayne
-
Tom Helmore
as British Ambassador
-
Eddie Hodges
as Johnny Leffingwell
-
Paul McGrath
as Hardiman Fletcher
-
J. Edward McKinley
as Sen. Hanson
-
Michele Montau
as Celestine Barre
-
Rene Paul
as French Ambassador
-
Bill Quinn
as Sen. Hendershot
-
Chet Stratton
as Rev. Birch
-
Betty White
as Sen. Bessie Adams
-
Sid Gould
as Bartender
-
Cay Forrester
as President's Secretary
-
Will Geer
as Senate Minority Leader
- Lewis Ayres